1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a liquid ejecting head, a liquid ejecting apparatus, and a piezoelectric actuator. More specifically, the present invention relates to a liquid ejecting head, liquid ejecting apparatus, and piezoelectric actuator which include a piezoelectric element with a first electrode, a piezoelectric body layer, and a second electrode.
2. Related Art
Piezoelectric actuators are often used in liquid ejecting heads and liquid ejecting apparatuses in order to change the pressure of the liquid in order to cause the liquid to be ejected. The piezoelectric actuator typically include a piezoelectric body layer disposed between a plurality of electrodes and is formed from a piezoelectric material with a electromechanical conversion function, such as a material containing lead, zirconium, and titanium such as lead zirconium titanate (PZT). An example of such a piezoelectric actuator is found in Japanese Application No. JP-A-2003-127366.
As the demand for higher image quality and higher speed liquid ejecting apparatuses has increased, however, a need has arisen for a liquid ejecting head that can acquire a large piezoelectric displacement using a low driving voltage.
In addition, one problem with the configurations currently known in the art is that the piezoelectric body layer often becomes degraded due to a leakage current or the like. Accordingly, there is a need for a more durable liquid ejecting head.
In addition, the above-described problem is not limited to the piezoelectric actuators used in a liquid ejecting head and also exists in a piezoelectric actuators that are used in devices other than the liquid ejecting head.